Nicaragua Travel Report by Topher Hunt - last updated 02 January 2007 I have been living and working in Nicaragua since September 2006. Now I have decided to write up a travel report. Hopefully, this will alert other first-time third-world travellers to some of the dangers to be aware of, some things they should be prepared for, and so forth. Enjoy reading! Host families For a long-term stay here, a host family was definitely the best solution for me. A family is an emotional base, a source of advice, a place for continual language immersion and practice, and a great help in making new friends and contacts. Nicaraguans are incredibly hospitable and helpful, while many know little or nothing about the outside world. I was warned to be sensitive about finance with my host family. Many families, of course, cannot afford to buy enough extra food to feed a visitor, and they are very sensitive to this. I gave them about $25 per week to buy lunches and dinners and I usually bought my own breakfast supplies at the miscellaneous store. The food they offered me is very good by my standards: plain but plentiful. Almost all meals include rice and often beans; to this are usually added vegetables or fruits and eggs or some meat. There is no hot water available to most homes; this was rarely an inconvenience to me. When it was particularly cold in the evenings, I bathed in the afternoon. Clothing Assorted T-shirts and short-sleeve semiformal shirts was what I brought, and they worked very well. At first I wore some long-sleeve shirts to protect me from mosquitos, but for the vast majority of the time they were unbearably hot. Khaki long pants were very comfortable, in the city or out in the country, despite the heat. I brought shorts but didn't find them very useful. Loose clothing is preferable. In the wet months, leather tends to get mouldy very quickly. Clothing will get sweaty and dirty - particularly if you don't plan on spending all your time in the cities; deal with it. I brought 16 shirts, underclothes, and socks, plus 4 pants, which worked fine for a 2-week laundry cycle. Tip: for efficient packing and also to compact dirty laundry, I found that rolling small clothing articles (or even other possessions, shoes, etc.) in shirts to make "clothing logs" works excellently. This also lets me rearrange or remove clothes easy. Travel Bus travel is convenient and regular, although supposedly dangerous. I used bus to commute 80 minutes each day and I have never had a safety problem. Know the bus route well - it may be preferable to get someone to travel with you a few times until you get familiar with the route. Get used to crowding, especially on the main buses in Managua and during rush hours. Plan your logistics for leaving the bus (ie, sitting or standing near an exit); often squeezing my way all the way to the doors takes me a couple minutes. Avoid bus travel when carrying valuables. Be aware of when bus service stops (for intercity buses, often around 8 PM) and be aware that bus travel by night is less safe and it is more difficult to find the correct stop. Fares start at 3 C (18¢) for urban routes; an intercity trip of perhaps 45 minutes can cost around a dollar. Distinguish between expresos and normal buses: expresos travel between cities more quickly and as a rule do not stop between cities. Taxis are quick, easy to catch, and ubiquitous in urban areas. Travelling between cities by taxi, however, is notoriously dangerous. Agree on the fare before getting in, and be aware that taxi drivers will often stop for more passengers unless otherwise instructed beforehand. Seatbelt is legally required only in the front seat of vehicles; in the back seat it is often unavailable. If you travel with a group of locals, there's a good chance they will go by pickup truck. It is very normal to pack 15 or 20 travellers into the bed of a pickup, although technically all those passengers should all be sitting down if the truck is to travel on any main highway. Be ready to get out and/or help push the vehicle if road conditions are particularly bad. Theft Probably the most important rule about travelling and living in a third-world country is to be prepared for whatever feels like happening to you. Things happen, but if you're flexible most disruptions don't need to be huge problems. Some rules:
Note: anywhere - even with host families - there is the potential for theft. If this happens, don't let this ruin your relationships with the people involved if at all possible; remember that such actions are a consequence of living in extreme need. If you keep most of your money in a hotel or with a host family (which is preferable to walking around everywhere with large sums), hide it well and wrap it in a note or envelope on which you write the amount contained and note any withdrawals you make. This lets you know immediately if someone has taken money, and any potential intruders will realize that as well. Health I was recommended to bring Peptol Bismol and have a spoonful or two of it daily, at least in the beginning, to keep the stomach bacteria to a manageable level. I didn't bring any, but Mylanta (available locally) seemed to work too. Against warnings, I decided to trust the Nicaraguan medical system. I found a clinic called "Los Chilamates" in the city of Masaya where I got immediate, professional, thorough service. The average visit plus purchased prescriptions cost me $15. Needless to say, if your body is feeling at all weird, it is probably a good idea to get it checked out instead of ignoring it. Important: Keep the purchase receipts and packaging of any and all drugs you take during your stay. This way, if there are any side affects years in the future, you will have a record of exactly what local drugs you took during that trip. I have heard of travellers to Africa who had related health problems years later but had long since forgotten what medications they had used on the trip. Mosquitos are inevitable in the winter (July to December); frankly, for me, trying to avoid them wasn't worth the effort. Long pants are sensible. Mosquitos appear mainly at night and in wet areas. One trick I found useful was to carry around a hat with me which I periodically doused in DEET: that way I didn't have to apply the stuff on myself every day, and it seemed effective at warding off at least the majority of bugs. Malaria pills or medications are, of course, extremely important. If you are particularly concerned about mosquitos and you are unable to find a sealed room for living quarters (hard to find in many areas), you might ask about borrowing or buying a "mosquitero" - a hanging mesh-net that covers your bed and keeps most mosquitos out. If you are in a hotel, you can use AC to keep your living quarters cool - this deters mosquitos. By all observations, tapwater in Managua City is safe for tourists to drink. It is heavily chlorinated. In other areas, this is definitely not the case. The only two times I had stomach problems were directly linked to drinking water from unpure water systems; this includes most areas outside of inner Managua City - particularly rural areas. Water can be sterilized by boiling it for 4-5 minutes. Also, I am told I can locally buy chlorine tablets to drop in water to kill any parasites and bacteria. It is probably a good idea to carry around a mini-bottle of hand disinfectant to wash your hands periodically and before meals if there is no good water nearby. To decrease the likelihood of health problems, I recommend that you take a half-hour to hour each day to relax fully: meditate, take a quiet walk, or set a time to talk casually about the day's events with other trip members. This also helps reduce culture shock (by giving your mind some time to rest and assimilate your experiences) and both mental and physical fatigue. My experiences have been the best, and my days the fullest, when I remembered to give myself this daily reflection time. Recommendations Here are some of the attractions near Managua that I have visited and liked.
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